Tangled Webs We Weave
by Data Girl 3
Summary: Mark’s mother comes up to the city, and tries to set him up with the daughter of Cindy’s husband’s boss. Emily agrees to help Mark out by pretending to be his girlfriend until his mother leaves. Please, no flamers!
1. Mothers and Blind Dates

**AN:** Hello to all. I want to start out this story with a little announcement. It has not gone unnoticed that quite a few people have been asking about Mark/Emily. Well, this story, and the immediate sequel, will cover the possibility of that pairing once and for all. And also: MoowitMi324, once you asked about Emily's ex-boyfriend, I believe. Well, I can promise he'll make an appearance in this story, along with the reason for their break-up. Hope it's to your liking. Now, on with the story.

* * *

Mark had to say that the Loft had never been quieter then it was on this day. Roger and Mimi were still away at Niagara Falls, and, knowing them, having a _very_ good time, Maureen and Joanne were off doing who knows what, and Collins was most likely visiting Angel. Emily had left a while ago to take Penny to a friend's birthday party, and then was going to stop by to see Nana. This left Mark alone to spend a few moments to look over some of his footage. At that moment, the Loft door opened and Emily walked though the door, followed by Nana. The two appeared to be a small argument.

"Nana, I don't _care _how nice, sensitive, and charming this guy is," Emily stated. "I'm not going out with him."

"Emily, he's a government official! The women _throw _themselves at this man."

"He's a forest ranger! _Raccoons _throw themselves at this man."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Nana turned to Mark. "Mark, would you please tell her that she's not getting any younger?"

"Will you please tell Nana I don't go out on blind dates?" Emily imputed.

"Oh, come on, Emily," Nana persisted. "What do you have to loose?"

"Self respect, for starters."

"All I'm saying is you haven't been on a date in about eight years. I realize that you might be hesitant after the whole incident with …"

"Thank you, Nana!" Emily interrupted in a tone that clearly suggested that she didn't want to discus the incident Nana was trying to mention. "I'm putting my foot down. No blind dates."

"Fine," Nana sighed heavily and turned to walk out. "But remember, Mr. Right is _not _just going to come up and knock on your door, and say 'here I am!'"

"Hey, that's how it worked with Roger and Mimi, you know!" Emily called after her before taking a seat at the metal table across from Mark, who passed her a mug of tea.

"So… same old, same old?" Mark smirked.

"Yep. You?"

"Naturally." The two paused to flash a mutual smile at each other before focusing their attention to their tea. A few seconds later, the phone rang from across the room. Emily found herself fighting back a chuckle from the fact Mark was ignoring the ringing. It always drove her crazy, his insistence at screening every phone call. But that was just one of the things that made him Mark.

"Mark, please pick up the phone," the familiar voice of Nancy, Mark's mother, called out. "Well, never mind then. I just want you to call me back, Mark. Please call me back. And soon." After Nancy hung up, the two sat in silence for a moment.

"You know," Emily spoke hesitantly. "You really _should _try picking up the phone when she calls. She just wants to talk with you."

"Yeah, to talk about why I can't be more like Cindy, and how I should come back home, and on and on. You don't know how nagging my mother can be, Emily."

"At least… you _have _a mother." Mark froze at Emily's words.

"That's the first time you mentioned her since before the Rat Fangs were arrested."

"I was four when she died, Mark. I barely remember her. But that aside. Next time your mother calls, just consider picking up the phone. I'm a mother, too, remember? Even when Penny grows up and goes out into the world, I'll still want to keep in touch with her."

Without another word, Emily returned to her tea, as if she hadn't said anything, leaving Mark to mull her words over. He was about to reply when Emily glanced at her watch and got up. "Sorry, gotta go, Mark," she announced, moving to the door. "My shift for the _Village Voice_ starts soon. I'll stop by later, okay? Thanks for the tea." Mark waved wordlessly, but after she'd left, he sighed and went over to the phone to dial.

"Hi, Mom," Mark began. "It's me."

* * *

**AN:** The little bit about 'he's a forest ranger' was from an episode of Caroline in the City. I loved that show, and am still ticked that they stopped production at a cliffhanger, so we'll never know what happens with Caroline and Richard. GRRRR!  
Next chapter might be a while. I have to type up a stupid outline for a paper. I hate outlines, because usually, I prefer to wing it when writing papers, and just let the information flow naturally. Outlines interferes with that process. (Doesn't help that I'm still looking for information on my topic.) So, until next time...


	2. Panic Induced Lies

In the stairwell outside the Loft door, Roger and Mimi were tangled up in a heated lip-lock, with Mimi pushed back against the wall and the battered duffel bags at their feet. Even when they came up for air, they remained with their foreheads touching and their lips a centimeter apart.

"Welcome home, baby," Roger grinned.

"Mmm. Guess we have to go in soon, don't we?" Mimi asked, in a tone that suggested she wouldn't mind not entering the Loft for a bit longer."

"Well, we could stay out _here_, if you want," Roger pointed out, half teasing as he turned his head to kiss her neck. "After all, we couldn't do anything wrong out here. Who can reasonably judge a married couple showing their affection?" Mimi tried in vain to hold back a giggle at feeling Roger lightly nip at her neck.

"Seriously, Roger," she pulled away slightly. "You can't pretend you're not a little tired from the bus ride back home. Besides, the others are probably missing us."

"Well…" Roger pretended to think. "I suppose I better check out the state of things, and make sure Mark didn't trash the place." Dodging the playful slap Mimi had directed at his arm, Roger pulled open the Loft door, revealing Penny sprawled out on the floor, scribbling out some math problems on a sheet of paper for school. The second she heard the door sliding open, the little girl looked up, her face breaking into a wide grin.

"You're back!" she cheered.

"Hello, Penny!" Mimi greeted, starting to walk in. However, Roger made an offended noise and pulled Mimi back. "Roger, what….?" Roger cut her off by lifting her up in his arms and carrying her into the Loft.

"Hey, why argue with tradition?" he pointed out to the laughing Mimi, twirling her around for good measure.

"Close up!" a familiar voice rang out. "Roger and Mimi Davis, returning from a well-deserved honeymoon vacation up in Niagara Falls!" The two lovers looked over to see Mark was filming them, with Emily standing nearby and watching him with an amused smile.

"As you can see," Mark continued, "Roger has become quite sappy since he's been gone. Hopefully, this won't last long." Roger gave Mark an irritated scowl, clearly itching to give him the finger, but knowing it wouldn't be wise unless he wanted to have Emily bite his head off for doing such things in front of her young daughter.

"It's good the have you two back," Emily inputted, greeting her friends with a hug, with Mark following her example. "Did you have a good trip?"

"Do you have time?" Mimi asked.

"Later. Life Café for lunch. I'm buying, you're both talking."

"Right. But right now, I need a shower."

"You want some help?" Roger asked with a devious grin as Mimi made her way to the bathroom. Mimi cast him a '_maybe later_' look before disappearing behind the bathroom door, leaving Roger, Mark, Emily and Penny to converse in the Loft. Once the sound of the shower being run drifted out through the door, the phone rang. As always, Mark and Roger waited for the answering machine to turn on. However, Mark looked up and moved forward when his mother's voice was heard.

"Since when do you answer the phone when your mother calls?" Roger asked in surprise.

"Emily. Long story," Mark replied, picking up the phone. Roger glanced over at Emily, who seemed rather stunned yet pleased that she somehow managed to get Mark to speak to his mother. "Hi, Mom….Like what?..." Instantly, Mark stiffened, and looked incredibly panicked about something.

"What is it?" Roger questioned.

"Mom, hold on," Mark sputtered, placing a hand over the phone speaker. "She's at it again! Trying to set me up with someone!"

"Again!?" Roger rolled his eyes. "Who is it this time?"

"Cindy's boss' daughter, apparently." Mark quickly went back to his mother. "No, Mom, you're not listening… no… no… Mom, I can't. I…. Mom, I have a girlfriend."

"WHAT!?" Roger and Emily chorused in shock. Mark waved a hand in their direction, signaling them to keep it down.

"Yeah, that's right!" Mark continued. "Yeah, she's nice. Very nice….. Met her at the park…..Yeah, that's right….Right, well, sorry about that, Mom….Okay. I'll talk to you later….Right, bye." Mark quickly hung up and sighed heavily before looking back at Roger and Emily, who were both staring at him incredulously. "Okay, so I panicked!" Mark defended himself.

"Dude, you just lied to your mother!" Roger stated, starting to look thoroughly impressed. "I never thought I'd see you do that, ever!"

"You're _encouraging _this?" Emily accused. "Mark, how long do you intend to lead her along, anyway?"

"Emily, it's not like I planned this, you know. I just was so tired of her trying to set me up with girls, and it just came out of my mouth. You know what it's like. I remember that augment you had with Nana about that blind date she tried to arrange for you."

"Well… yeah," Emily admitted. "But at least I was honest."

"Listen, next time she calls, I'll tell the truth, okay?"

"Hey, do what you want, Mark," Emily sighed, moving to exit the Loft. "It's not _my _job to be your conscience, after all.

"I have to go feed Wenceslas. I'll meet you guys at the Life later. I said I'd buy lunch for you two and Mimi, and I'm not going back on my word." And with that, Emily headed downstairs to her apartment, with Penny following her and Mark watching her leave.

"Oh, I really hate when she tries to make me feel guilty like that," Mark groaned. "Because it _always_ works."

"Hey, it's not that bad," Roger reasoned. "You said you'll set the records straight next time she calls, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Mark, forget about it. She can't be too annoyed, since she still offered us lunch."

"Well, okay," Mark relented. "Guess you're right."

"Yeah, besides, what's the worst thing that could happen?" At this reasoning, Mark pushed his guilt aside, along with the knowledge that, in the movies, nothing good could ever follow words like that.


	3. The Hole is Dug Deeper

**AN: **A thank you to those who helped defend my stories from the bashing of flamers. I appreciate it very much. And if said flamers are reading this, be warned that all further flaming will be ignored, so you'll only be wasting your time.

Two chapters will be posted tonight, because this one is so short. Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Roger and Mark entered the Loft, coming back from Roger's band practice which Mark had filmed. They were going to drop off Roger's fender in the Loft, and then take Mimi and Emily to a fair that was being held in the city. However, when they stopped by to pick up Emily on the way to the Loft, they saw a note was taped to the door. Mark removed it and read it out loud.

_Hey, guys,_

_I'm just taking Wenceslas for a walk. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about our plans to go to the fair. I'll be back soon._

_-Emily_

"Well, let's wait for her up in the Loft," Roger suggested. The two friends made their way upstairs. However, when they opened up the door, they both froze in shock. Mimi was sitting on the beaten couch, but she wasn't alone.

"Mark!" Mark's mother, Nancy, quickly moved forward, pulling her stunned son into a hug.

"Mo… mother?" Mark sputtered. Looking around, he saw his father, Robert, and Cindy were there as well.

"Your father wanted to call ahead and let you know we were coming," Nancy informed. "But I thought it would be best to surprise you. Oh, and Roger's here as well. I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose. You two were _always _inseparable, even as boys.

"We've been having a very delightful conversation with Mimi, here. She was the one who let us in. Roger, where did you _ever_ find such a sweet girl?"

"Mom?" Mark tried to snap out of his surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to meet that girl you told me about," Nancy said. "I hope she's as nice as you made her out to be." Mark paled instantly.

"Ah… Mom, Dad, could you excuse me for a moment?" Mark quickly pulled Roger out of the Loft with Mimi following them. The three ducked into Emily's apartment downstairs, just as Emily was heading up the stairs, leading her potbellied pig, Wenceslas, on his blue harness. Seeing her friends entering her place in such a hurry made her frown in concern before looking up to the Loft.

* * *

"Oh, now what?" Mark cried in a panic. "Why'd they have to come here? What do I tell them now?"

"You actually told your mother you had a girlfriend, Mark?" Mimi asked.

"Please skip the guilt trip, Mimi," Mark begged. "It's not helping. What am I going to tell them?"

"Well, there's no avoiding it now, I guess," Roger ran a hand through his hair. "Guess we gotta come clean."

"I'm not looking forward to this," Mark groaned. "Well, better get it over with." Mark winced as he led his friends back to the Loft.

"Mom, Dad," he began as he pulled the door open. "I gotta tell you something about the girlfriend I told you I had."

"Say no more!" Robert smiled. "You were right. She _is _a very nice girl."

"Wha… what?" Mark looked at his father in confusion. "What do you…?"

"Mark, sweetie! Welcome home!" Mark's confusion tripled when Emily appeared and threw her arms around his neck. "Did you get any good footage, today?" Mark gaped at Emily's beaming face.

"Emily?" he blinked. Emily simply grinned and winked.


	4. How Do You Leave the Past Behind?

It was almost an hour later that Mark, Roger, Mimi and Emily were at the fair. Nancy and Robert had declined from accompanying them, stating that they had to go and check into the hotel they were staying in as they did not want to intrude into their son's place, and because Cindy had promised her husband that she'd call when they had arrived.

"Besides," Nancy had said. "We know you probably want some alone time with Emily, Mark, honey." So now, the four friends had been left to explore the fair. It didn't take long for Roger and Mimi to go off to do their own thing. And so, Mark and Emily were left alone.

"Okay, now spill," Mark turned to Emily the moment Roger and Mimi had left. "What were you doing, saying you're my girlfriend? I thought you didn't approve of that lie I told Mom."

"I don't," Emily insisted. "But, the thing was… it happened like this…."

**Flashback**

Emily looked from her apartment door, where her friends had disappeared, to the Loft door. Making up her mind, she led Wenceslas up to the Loft, where she momentarily was puzzled by the presence of Mark's family waiting for the others to return.

"Hello," Emily began. "Not to be rude, but who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Nancy, Mark's mother."

"Oh, so _you're _the famous Mr. and Mrs. Cohen," Emily realized. "Hi, I'm Emily. What brings you here?"

"Oh, Mark told Mom he got himself a girlfriend," Cindy stated. "Although, seeing as he hasn't had much luck in that department, I can't wait to see who he got this time." The three visiting Cohens seemed to not notice Emily's stunned expression at the realization Mark was in deep trouble, the gears in her head going into overdrive.

**End Flashback**

"So, while I _still _don't agree with how you lied, Mark," Emily concluded, "what kind of friend would I be if I just stepped aside and let you float down the river without a paddle? So, I just took the first thing I could think of, and went with it."

"Emily, I just… You really don't have to do this…."

"Mark, you told your mother you had a girlfriend, didn't you?" Emily reasoned. "Well, now she's here to meet the girlfriend you made up. Why shouldn't I try to help you out? You helped me out of the whole Rat Fang mess, if you'd remember."

"Emily, we're friends," Mark reminded. "You don't _need _to repay friends. We just do things for each other _because_ we're friends."

"Ah. You've just answered your own question. That's why I'm doing this. We're friends." Mark sighed.

"I hate when you do that."

"Do what?" Emily chuckled.

"Bring me into a place where I can't find any counter argument."

"Hey, easiest way to win a discussion, isn't it?" The two shared a laugh at this. Even though he was still a little hesitant about going along with Emily's charade of the two of them being together, Mark couldn't deny that he was grateful that she was willing to help him out.

"Oh, hold up," Emily stopped, pausing at a new age booth. "Nana's been after me about needing new healing crystals. You know how Nana gets about her superstitions and omens."

"I remember the time she actually berated Maureen for whistling and inviting evil spirits to visit her."

"Yeah. Imagine living with _that_ for nearly twenty years." Mark grinned and started helping Emily go through the crystals.

"Emily, do you think Nana wants a smoky quartz, or the quartz crystal?" Mark looked over and suddenly frowned in concern, seeing that Emily was staring at something behind him, looking positively panicked. "Emily?"

"Oh, crap," Emily hissed before trying to hide behind a display board.

"Emily!?" Mark tried to move around to talk to her, but he was rewarded with Emily snapping and shoving him away.

"Mark! Get away! Don't… he'll know I'm here!"

"What? Who? Who are you trying to hide from?"

"No one, okay? Now, quick, pretend I'm not…"

"Emily?" A new voice made Mark look up to see a rather good-looking man with thick hair, a shade lighter then brunette, standing in front of them, looking down at Emily in surprise. A second man of Asian decent was at the man's side. "Emily! Wow, I _thought_ I recognized your voice."

"Hello, Karl." Emily muttered, standing up slowly and making a conscious effort to avoid looking at Karl.

"Well, this _is _a surprise," Karl laughed. "I didn't expect to find you still living in New York. It's a small city, isn't it?"

"Yeah, _too_ small," Emily growled.

"Wait," Mark stepped in, looking from Emily to Karl. "So, you two know each other?" Karl suddenly looked awkward.

"Oh, well…" Karl stammered. "It's… the thing is…"

"Oh, let _me _tell it, Karl," Emily interrupted, glaring at him in spite. "It's such a _wonderful_ story." Mark turned to Emily in shock. He'd never heard Emily talk with such disdain. When Emily glanced over to Mark to begin telling the story, the filmmaker's surprise doubled at seeing the raging fire in her hazel eyes. "You see, Mark," Emily began. "Karl here was my fiancé!"

"Your… sorry, _what_?!" Mark gaped. He had known Emily once had a boyfriend, but engaged?

"Yeah. That's right," Emily nodded, disdain for Karl radiating off her. "We had it all planned out, too. The reception hall booked, the caterers with all their food, _everything_. But then, on the night of our rehearsal dinner, I find Karl," Emily paused in her narrative to send the man in question an evil glare. "Karl, and Lee here, who was chosen as the best man." Emily gestured to the Asian man. "I find them making out. _IN MY VAN!!_" A stunned Mark turned to stare at Karl and Lee, who were both looking very uncomfortable at the moment.

"I think that pretty much covers the finer points," the enraged and bitter photographer concluded. "Have I left anything out, Karl?" Emily cast Karl one more furious glare before storming off.

* * *

It took Mark ten minutes to find Emily, but he eventually spotted her sitting in the Life Café, swirling the cup of herbal tea in front of her absentmindedly. She didn't look up until Mark had placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Mark asked in concern.

"I should have realized something right off the back," Emily gave a dry chuckle. "I mean, Lee was going on about these 'phenomenal canolis' at a small bakery. Wouldn't stop talking about them. I'm not sexist, you know I'm not. But any guy who goes on endlessly about a pastry product…" Mark was quiet for moment. He'd never told her purposely because he was so tired of people laughing at him. Emily had never laughed at him once since they met, and he wanted to keep it that way. But this time… she couldn't laugh, could she? After all, she'd been there. She could relate.

"I know how you feel," Mark comforted.

"I doubt it," Emily shook her head.

"Emily… did you know… Maureen and I used to date?"

"Maureen?" Emily looked up in surprise. "But… she and Joanne…"

"Yeah," Mark nodded, and quickly summed up his history with Maureen, and how Joanne had entered the picture. To his pleasured surprise, his prediction had held true. Emily didn't even show the slightest sign of laughing. She just sat there listening with an understanding smile on her face, and once he was finished, she lifted a hand to rest on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Mark. That must have been rough."

"Thanks. You know, you're the first person who heard that story who hasn't laughed."

"Well, maybe people laugh because they don't know what that's like. You can't shake the feeling that it's somehow _your _fault, that they went that way because you were lacking something. The feeling that if you just gave a little more, or did something differently…" Emily trailed off, and the two sat in silence for a few seconds.

"It's funny," Mark began. "How long has it been since we first met?"

"It's been over a year now. Why?"

"I don't know. It just seems… like I've known you my whole life at times. It probably sounds crazy, but…"

"No. I know what you mean. With you, I don't have to think about what to say next. It just comes naturally."

"Yeah. Exactly." Mark and Emily laughed in unison.

"Well, I guess it's to be expected," Emily smiled, looking back at her tea. "Filmmaker and Photographer. It's only natural that you and I can talk to each other so easily. Doesn't exactly hurt that you stuck by me during that whole ordeal with the Rat Fangs, and when I thought I was going to loose Penny. I don't think I ever told you how grateful I was to you when you kept being there to try and comfort me. You even stayed with me the night when I'd given up all hope. Like I told you then, Mark. You're a true friend."

"Yeah, you'd know about that, after all." Mark nodded in agreement. "How many people would pose as someone's girlfriend, just to help get that someone's mother off their back?"

"Speaking of your parents," Emily sighed, "we probably should head back. Parents usually have a thing about wanting to get to know their child's new love. Well, at least that's how Nana was during the start of the whole mistake with me and Karl." Emily suddenly started to smirk. "However, usually those little meetings are meant to help the parent or guardian decide if the person in question is right for their child, and Nana pretty much failed in her job at placing Karl in the 'not for you' category right off the back." Mark and Emily left the Life Café, both laughing at the joke Emily had made about her failed relationship. Clearly, Mark's story about his history with Maureen had made her forget all about her animosity on the subject.

* * *

**AN:** And that is how Emily's relationship with her ex-boyfriend ended. How'd you like it? Next chapter will be up once it's written. Until next time...


	5. When Lines Are Crossed

Mark and Emily escorted the Cohen family through the city streets, taking them back to the Loft. Emily had volunteered to cook dinner for them that night, a move Mark knew was very smart. One sure way to make his mother happy was showing her that he was eating something other then take-out all the time. And Emily's gourmet cooking skills were sure to impress his family.

"So what're you planning on serving?" Mark had a whispered conversation with his friend.

"Seeing how I'm supposed to be cooking for my pretend-boyfriend's-folks, I was thinking of making three cheese tortellini in rosé vodka sauce, with sautéed mushrooms and fresh-baked breadsticks." Emily's choice brought a reminiscent smile to his face. That had been the first meal Emily had ever made for him and the other Bohemians, on the night she had first started becoming a part of their extended family.

As they walked, Emily suddenly stopped Mark by pulling on his arm and nodded toward something nearby.

"A photo booth?" Mark raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I've been told that's the sort of thing people do with their girlfriends," Emily shrugged. "Gotta really make this believable, otherwise your parents might be suspicious." Mark glanced over at his parents and Cindy, who were trying to convince a street vendor they weren't interested in what he was selling.

"Okay then," Mark agreed and entered the photo booth with Emily, where they took a set of four pictures. They rejoined Mark's parents and sister when they were done, chuckling over the pictures, especially the last one, when Emily had taken Mark's glasses and placed them on her own face. The shutter flash had gone off just in time to capture the two of them laughing.

* * *

It was sometime later that Emily placed the plates of her Italian dish on the Loft's metal table, which had been cleaned for once. Once everyone had been served, she took a seat between Mark and Penny. Nancy had insisted that Roger and Mimi join in, as it would be rather rude to exclude them from the dinner, seeing how they both lived with Mark, and had every right to remain.

"So, Emily," Nancy began. "What is it that you do, exactly?"

"I'm a photojournalist for the _Village Voice_." Emily replied truthfully. "It's not the most glamorous job in the city, and I sometimes have to work late. But it puts food on the table, and my little girl's worth it." Emily lightly ruffled Penny's strawberry blond hair. "But I'm always looking for a better offer. I want to someday find a job that will enable me to give Penny the privileges other children have, such as being able to participate in class field trips to the zoo, something she usually misses out on because we don't have money to spare on a zoo admission. Someday, I hope I'll be able to give her that."

"It's rather strange, though," Robert frowned slightly. "Penny's about ten, correct?"

"Yes."

"That means you'd have been about sixteen at the time, doesn't it?" It took Emily a second to understand what Robert was getting at.

"Oh! No, sir!" Emily quickly corrected his assumption. "I'm not… Penny's my _adopted_ daughter. Her biological mother died giving birth to her."

"Oh, how awful," Nancy stated. "And what of her birth father?"

"He's in jail, where he belongs," Penny replied matter-of-factly. "He was tried and convicted on the charges of production and distribution of illegal drugs, kidnapping, attempted murder, and accessory to murder. Oh, and he _was _going to be tried for rape, too, but since all his victims were dead or on the missing persons list, that couldn't be proven." Emily gave a nervous chuckle, lightly pinching the bridge of her nose. Mark had no trouble deciphering her thoughts from her body language. She was clearly thinking, sarcastically of course, '_oh, this is **really** going well, now_.'

"How about we eat?" Mark suggested quickly, hoping to change the subject before more damage could be done. Further conversation that was done during the meal involved Nancy asking Emily about her background. She seemed a little concerned when Emily confessed she's never went to college, but quickly overlooked that when it was revealed that the reason behind her lack of a college degree was because Emily had been taking care of the city's unwanted children at the Center, and didn't have time for taking college courses. Robert, upon finding out about Emily being a Yankee fan, even had a three minute discussion on baseball stats. Mark remained quiet throughout most of the meal, observing how Emily was having no problem getting on his mother's good side. It was probably a good thing that she believed he and Emily were together. Otherwise she'd be trying to set them up in an instant. Pretending Emily was his girlfriend for three days was one thing, but having his mother try and set them up was another. He and Emily were simply friends. Good friends who could always talk to one another easily, and enjoyed each other's company, yes. But still just friends.

* * *

The conversations had continued long past dinner had been finished and the plates had been put away, until Penny started to yawn. Emily began to get up to bring her to bed, but Mimi intervened.

"I'll take her, Emily," Mimi offered, picking the half-asleep child up and carrying her to the door.

"Thanks, Mimi," Emily called after her. Mimi proceeded down to Emily's apartment, slightly smiling at the memory of how it had once been hers before she'd moved in with Roger and Mark.

"Mimi?" Penny opened her eyes slightly once she'd been placed into her bed. "How long are Mark's parents gonna be here?"

"I suppose they leave the day after tomorrow." Mimi guessed.

"So, when that happens, Mom and Mark will go back to being just friends, right?"

"Well, I assume so. Why?" Penny yawned and snuggled into her covers, pulling the stuffed rabbit Mr. Twiggers closer.

"I think," Penny mumbled before drifting off to sleep, "that Mark would make a _great _dad." Mimi stood silently for a moment, but then headed back upstairs, grinning widely at Penny's comment.

* * *

An hour later, the Cohens were leaving to head back to their hotel, and Mark, Emily, Roger and Mimi were saying goodbye.

"Hey, don't forget Emily," Cindy reminded. "We're taking you shopping tomorrow afternoon."

"Right, can't wait," Emily replied, waving to Nancy and Robert and making a mental note to hug Mark's arm, in order to keep up the act. Once Mark's family had disappeared behind the Loft door, both Mark an Emily let out a loud sigh of relief and stepped apart from each other.

"So, it's only one more day of this, plus a few hours?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. Then it's back to normal."

"Oh, good." The two laughed nervously. "Mind you, this isn't as hard as I'd thought. All that we really need to do is…"

"Just be a little more intimate, like holding hands and cuddling." Mark finished. From across the room, Roger and Mimi glanced over at them.

"Hey, that's good!" Roger teased. "You two are really getting into this whole couple thing. Now you two are finishing each other's sentences."

"Shut up, Roger," Emily and Mark chorused.

"We're just friends," Mark insisted. "We're only pretending to be together until my parents go back to Scarsdale."

"Exactly," Emily agreed. "So all the little gestures we do for the next few days are just acts. If we're not convincing, they're gonna figure it out, and Mark's gonna look like an idiot. No offense, Mark."

"No, what you said was right," Mark pointed out. "I can't let my parents know we were lying to them now. So we have to continue this until they leave. We really have to be convincing." At that moment, the door to the Loft reopened, and Nancy stepped in.

"Forgot my purse," she announced. What happened next occurred so fast, Mark didn't realize it was happening at first. One moment, he and Emily were turning to Nancy with panic-filled faces. The next, Emily's hands were resting on his shoulders, and her mouth was on his.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Nancy apologized upon seeing this, a large smile on her face. "I'll just leave now." Without another word, Nancy stepped out. Mimi giggled at Nancy's reaction, but Roger started tapping her shoulder. Mimi looked up at him and saw Roger nodding over at Mark and Emily. The immediate 'danger' had passed, but they still hadn't stepped apart, their lips still touching lightly. Mark's hands had even found their way to Emily's waist.

"Yo, Mark!" Roger called, not quite shouting, but with a raised voice. "Mark, Emily! Are you waiting for us to get a hose or something?" Shortly after this had been said, the two finally stepped apart, both of them looking right at the other's face. They seemed almost lost, as if unable to decide what to do next. However, the moment was broken in an instant when they simultaneously stepped away from each other, looking extremely nervous and awkward.

"Well, how was that for convincing?" Emily gave a shaky laugh.

"Oh, yeah, yeah," Mark nodded. "Very convincing. Very good."

"Yeah. Well, I should, you know, go and check up on Penny," Emily spoke very quickly.

"Right, of course!" Mark spoke with equal quickness, heading for his projector. "I have, you know, footage to edit."

"Right. Well, goodnight."

"Yeah, goodnight." Emily made a beeline for the door while Mark made a clear effort to focus his eyes on his projector, not even looking up when Emily pulled the door closed.

"Mark…." Mimi began.

"I got a lot of work to do, Mimi," Mark announced, his tone of voice slightly higher then usual. "Don't let me keep you and Roger up. See you tomorrow." Roger and Mimi turned to look at each other, large smiles forming on their faces.

"Okay, buddy. See you in the morning," Roger grinned, leading Mimi into their room. One inside, they looked at each other again before they broke out laughing.

* * *

**AN:** There you go, Tina101: the kiss you've been asking for since the beginning. Hope it was to the liking of you and other Mark/Emily supporters.  
You might have noticed there are a few references to earlier stories in this fic. The reason for it is because the "Emily Story Arc" is nearing its completion. After the conclusion of this two-part story, there will be one last story to wrap everything up. (It will be long though, so hopefully that will make up for the ending that's coming.) Anyway, hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Until next time...


	6. A Friendship Damaged

Mark woke up later then usual the next morning. He came out of his room to find Roger perched in the window, tuning his fender.

"Finally decided to wake up, did you?" Roger smirked without looking up.

"I pulled an all-nighter, what do you expect?" Mark mumbled, heading toward the coffee pot sitting atop the hot plate. "Where's Mimi?"

"Cindy came around when you were still sleeping. She took Mimi and Emily down to the mall with your parents. Hey, Mark? Is something wrong with Emily? She seemed really reluctant to come in today until I told her that you were still sleeping."

"She did?" Mark looked over in surprise.

"Yeah, and she kept glancing over at your door, asking if they could leave soon, almost as if she was planning on hightailing it out of here if you made an appearance. It's like she was trying to avoid you. I asked her if something was wrong, but she put on this fake smile and told me that everything was fine."

"Weird. I wonder what's up."

"You know what it _could _be, don't you?" Roger gave Mark a calculating look. "It _could _be about that little _thing _that happened last night."

"Oh get off it, Roger. I keep telling you that we're just friends."

"Didn't look that way last night."

"That was acting. Nothing more."

"Was it?" Mark frowned slightly for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Whatever you're thinking, Roger, you're way off. I think of Emily as a friend. That's it."

"If you say so," Roger shrugged returning to his fender. "But you gotta admit it. You're a filmmaker, she's a photographer. There's a lotta 'kindred spirits' going on there." Mark opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind and continued to drink his coffee in silence.

* * *

It was about two hours later that Cindy returned to the Loft with Mimi and Emily. Mimi immediately made her way over to Roger, but Emily stayed in the doorway, refusing to look anywhere near where Mark was sitting. Cindy couldn't help but notice this.

"Hey, you two. What's going on between you two, anyway?"

"Nothing's going on, Cindy," Emily stated defensively. "Everything's just peachy."

"Emily…" Mark tried to talk with his friend, but Emily ignored him and exited the Loft.

"Thanks for the shopping trip, Cindy," Emily waved as she disappeared down the stairs. "I'm just going to give Wenceslas his new ball."

"Excuse me," Mark stood up suddenly and followed Emily down to her apartment. Once they were alone, he gave her an annoyed look.

"Emily, come on. Don't you think this attitude has gone on long enough?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emily replied flatly, not bothering to look at him.

"There. That's the attitude again!"

"Well, what did you expect?!" Emily rounded on the filmmaker. "You want to keep on pretending _that_ didn't happen or something?"

"Are you talking about…?"

"Of course! Mark, that completely crossed the line."

"Oh, don't talk to me like I did something wrong!" Mark hissed. "_You_ kissed _me_!"

"I don't recall_ you_ protesting. But apart from that, I was thinking that we had to convince your mother that we were together, Mark. You said we had to be convincing."

"I never told you to pretend to be my girlfriend, you know. That was _your _idea."

"And I _never _would have had to come up with that little cover-up if you'd just told the truth in the first place!"

"Do you seriously think my mother would listen to me if I told her I didn't want to be set up with anyone?"

"Mark, think about this for a minute! Nana's usually trying to set me up on blind dates all the time. But she still listens to me when I tell her I'm not interested. I see no reason to believe you mother would be any different."

"Easy for you to say. _Your _mother's not around to hassle _you_!" Emily stiffened at Mark's words. The filmmaker immediately realized he'd hit below the belt. "That… that came out all wrong."

"No. Forget it," Emily glared before tuning so her back was facing Mark. "You got the message across."

"Oh, come on, Emily. You know I didn't mean it like…"

"Just get out, Mark," Emily snapped in a tone that could have been worthy of Roger. "Just get out of my place." Mark's shoulders slumped, but he respected Emily's wishes and walked out. However, not even the closed door could completely muffle the photographer's choked sobs. Mark stood frozen outside Emily's door for a moment longer before returning to the Loft.

_'Mark you idiot,_' he thought. _'What did you just do?' _When Mark entered the Loft he immediately disappeared into his room. But Cindy, Roger and Mimi all caught the crestfallen look on his face.

"Wow," Roger gave a low whistle. "Something tells me they just had their first fight, ever."


	7. Emily's Theory

Mark was pulled out of sleep by someone shaking him. Moaning, he reached out to grab his glasses from the nightstand and pushed them onto his face.

"Dad?" Mark blinked up at his father's face. "What time is it?"

"Almost midnight," Robert replied. "Get up, son."

"Why?" Mark groaned as he shuffled out of his room with his father. Roger, Mimi and Cindy were all sitting around in the Loft. "All right, what's going on?" Before anyone could answer, the Loft door opened and Nancy walked in, pulling a reluctant Emily in with her. Emily, once she'd been brought in, stood with arms folded, glaring into space, refusing to look at Mark.

"Mom," Mark winced, hating that Emily was still mad at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't sit around and watch such a sweet couple acting like this," Nancy announced. "I don't know what happened between the two of you, but you have to remember that you two love each other."

"Mom, please…." Mark began.

"Mark, listen to your mother," Nancy continued, showing no sign that she heard her son. "You got yourself a wonderful girl here. If you did something wrong, then you have to make it right."

"Mom…." Mark tried again, a little louder.

"Now, the two of you are going to sit down, and talk things out, until this fight of yours is…"

MOM!" Mark's shout surprised everyone. Even Emily finally looked over at him. "Emily is _not _my girlfriend."

"Oh, no. Please don't split up on the basis of a small spat."

"No, Mom. I mean, she's _never _been by girlfriend. I only said I had one because I was so tired of you trying to set me up with random girls. I thought that you'd stop it if you thought I'd found someone. But then you came to meet the girlfriend I made up, and Emily, being a true friend, stepped in to save my as- and posed as my girlfriend, just so I wouldn't look stupid. But then it all got out of hand, and now this whole act we were putting on is seriously threatening our friendship. And now… you said it yourself, Mom. If I do something wrong, I have to make it right.

"I'm sorry I lied about having a girlfriend, but I only did it because I just wanted you to stop trying to fix me up with every available girl you come across. But at this point, I don't care if you want to set me up with the bearded lady. Because it's because of this _stupid _lie that I hurt someone whose friendship I've always valued." At this point, Mark was looking straight at Emily, who didn't turn away. "I really hope that that person knows how sorry I am, and how much I wish I could go back and take everything back. I hope that person realizes how much her friendship and company has meant to me, and that I _never _want to do anything to damage or destroy that friendship. I just hope… that it's not already too late to save that friendship." As Mark had spoken, he'd slowly walked toward Emily, and by the time he was finished, he was standing right in front of her, the sincerity of his words etched on his face. For a few moments, Emily appeared indifferent to Mark's speech. But after a few tense moments, she'd enveloped Mark in a large hug, one that clearly said '_all is forgiven_.' When they stepped apart, Mark glanced over at his mother, who looked torn between happiness and confusion. "Mom, I'm sorry I lied to you."

"It's okay, Mark. I'm glad you told me the truth. But I just don't want to see you alone."

"If I might, Mrs. Cohen," Emily stepped into the conversation. "Throughout my life, I've developed a theory of some kind. Quite often, you won't find the person for you by looking. The one for you could be that quiet person you see on the subway everyday, or someone who stands behind you in the line at the corner bakery. Look at Roger and Mimi, for example. I don't believe Roger would have ever considered the possibility that he'd get his first glimpse of the woman he'd one day marry at an S&M club. And my mother never imagined she'd meet my father after one of her poetry recitals at Gaslight Café. And who could have predicted that our friend, Collins, would find the love of his life in some dark alley after being mugged. Things like finding the one person you're meant to be with usually has a way of just happening. What's meant to be will always find a way. At least, that's what I believe." For a time, Nancy contemplated this logic.

"Robert, Cindy?" She finally spoke up. "Could you, perhaps, step outside with Roger and Mimi for a moment? I'd like to have a talk with my son and Emily." The Cohens immediately got up to leave, but Roger and Mimi hesitated until Mark gave a quick nod to them. Needing no further encouragement, they followed Mark's father and sister out of the Loft to head down to Emily's apartment to wait. However, Roger gave one last glance over his shoulder as the Loft door closed.

* * *

**AN: **I realize how short this chapter is, but seeing how this fic only has one more chapter to go, it could not be helped. An apology to those who like reading about Maureen, Joanne, and Collins, who might have been disappointed by their absence in this story. They will all appear in the second half, Italian Offer, (Remember, this is the first half of a two-part story) and I promise there's gonna be a reason why Maureen and Joanne were missing in this story.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy further developments in this story, and I thank you for your reviews. Until next time...


	8. Back to Normal

The next morning, Mark and Emily stood by on the street while the Cohen family was preparing to return to Scarsdale.

"It was very nice meeting you, Mrs. Cohen," Emily smiled as Nancy hugged her goodbye.

"The same to you, Emily. Mark, you remember what I told you last night. Don't _ever _take this friend of yours for granted."

"No chance, Mom," As Emily said goodbye to Mark's parents, Cindy pulled Mark aside.

"So then. Emily just up and decided to pose as your girlfriend, without you asking her or anything, am I right?" Cindy asked, a sly grin on her face.

"I told you that's what happened." Cindy's smile widened.

"Mom was right. You really _do _have a great girl there."

"I told you. We're not together," Mark insisted. Cindy, however, shook her head and pulled him into a sisterly hug.

"Don't worry, little brother. You'll figure it out."

"What are you…?" Mark began. But Cindy was already moving back to the others, giving Emily a goodbye hug before climbing into the car. Robert and Nancy soon followed her example, but not before Nancy gave Mark a kiss on the cheek. Once the car was out of sight, Emily spoke up.

"So. Everything's back to normal, right?" she asked

"Yeah," Mark agreed. "Back to being just friends." Emily turned to face Mark, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Yeah," she agreed finally. "Just friends. Of course." However, the unreadable expression remained. Before Mark could inquire what the look was about, Roger and Mimi stepped out.

"Hey, Mark. Your parents left then?' Roger glanced down the street.

"Yeah. They just left. Where are you two off to?"

"Roger's band mate, Robbie, just called," Mimi explained. "They're decided to have a band practice today."

"Oh, right. You guys have a gig next week, don't you?" Emily remembered. "I'm looking forward to that."

"Oh, hey. Before I forget," Roger pulled out an envelope. "Emily, this came for you yesterday. With all the craziness going on, it slipped my mind." Emily looked at the envelope, mystified.

"Thanks, Roger," She nodded, stepping aside to open it.

"So then," Mark entered the conversation. "Good luck with the practice, Roger."

"Thanks, buddy," Roger grinned before walking off with Mimi. Mark turned back to Emily and frowned in concern. Emily was standing a short distance away, scanning over her letter with a furrowed brow.

"Emily, is something wrong?" Mark asked. Emily quickly stuffed the letter into her pocket.

"No, nothing's wrong," Emily insisted, putting on a large smile. "What could be wrong? Hey, Mark? You… wanna go to the park and see if we can find some new footage and/or shots?"

"Sounds good. I'll just get my camera and your Nikon."

"Great." Mark headed back inside to grab the equipment. Once he was out of sight, Emily took the letter out of her pocket and read it again, looking deeply tormented. But she returned the letter to her pocket once Mark returned, accepting her Nikon from him with a convincing smile.

* * *

**AN: **Hope you enjoyed this story, and are not too upset by the small cliffhanger with the mysterious letter. Be on the lookout for part two: Italian Offer. It will be up fairly soon, I'm hoping. Until then...


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